The Sordid Secrets of a Forensic Anthropologist
by jemb
Summary: An article in a gossip magazine may spell the downfall of Temperance Brennan and the life she knows and loves. CHAPT 8 UP The story ends
1. Chapter 1

_**Just a little something I came up with. I'll warn you in advance, it may get a little dark and angsty. I haven't posted anything in a while so I'm excited to be back!**_

Seeley Booth arrives for work in a jovial mood. Having spent the weekend with his son playing in the park and watching cartoon movies, his spirits are high. But it doesn't take long to bring those spirits crashing to the ground, and in the most unexpected way possible. As he walks down the hall to his office, he notices his colleagues gathered around one desk joking and laughing. One of them looks up and beams a grin at Booth.

"Hey guys, what's so interesting." Booth asks casually as he approaches.

"Man, you have been holding out on us." The grinning agent slaps Booth on the arm.

"What are you talking about?" Booth chuckles, wondering what on earth has these guys so excited.

"This, man." Another agent thrusts a local gossip magazine at Booth, opened to a page boldly titled 'The Sordid Secrets of a Forensic Anthropologist'. The smile on Booth's face slowly fades and his eyes narrow as he scans the article splayed across two full pages. Large quotes with phrases like 'I'll never look at an examination table the same way' and 'She loved the kinky things; handcuffs, leather and occasionally lace'. A look of sheer anger crosses Booth's face and he glares at the agents.

"What the hell is this?" Booth demands, clasping the magazine tight in his hands so the pages get scrunched up.

"You tell us, she's your partner." Another agent laughs. He soon regrets it when Booth squares up to him, using every inch of his height as intimidation.

"You'd better shut your mouth now Davidson." He warns angrily whilst keeping his voice low so as not to attract any more attention. The other agents sense Booth's anger and decide they'd better not say anything else so they slowly begin to disperse.

Booth strides to his office, the magazine clenched in his fist. He doesn't know what to think about the snippets he just read. It would appear that a former boyfriend of Brennan's has done a kiss and tell story detailing all the intimate details of their relationship, in sordid detail. When he reaches his desk he slumps down into the seat, wondering if Brennan knows anything about this article yet. She never reads these types of magazines so she probably doesn't and that means someone has to tell her. That someone is no doubt going to be him. With his hand hovering over the phone, he contemplates calling and telling her but he quickly decides this is not something he can do over the phone. Stuffing the magazine into the inside pocket of his jacket, he heads back out his office, an intense sense of dread filling his body.

XxXxXxXxX

_**I love constructive reviews so please, let me know your thoughts**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sorry if I've confused anyone. Based on a lovely constructive review from **__**Sarali1983 I've split the first chapter into two.**_

Brennan is working away in her office, oblivious to the scandal erupting across the city. She has never read a gossip magazine in her life so she would have no reason to see the article on herself. When Booth arrives, she greets him with a smile.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you today." She says cheerfully. Booth walks in slowly, his jaw clenched and his lips pursed.

"Bones, I need to talk to you." He says quietly, closing the door behind him.

"Is something wrong?" Brennan asks innocently. Booth nods and as Brennan watches him with curiosity, he closes the blinds to give them privacy from prying eyes.

"Booth, what's going on?" Brennan sits up straighter, her eyes narrowing as she focuses on Booth and the concentrated look on his face.

"Uh, there's something you need to know about." He walks over and stands by her desk. Brennan cocks her head and looks up at him, her eyes full of innocence. Booth hates to be the one to shatter that.

"It's not good Bones." He says as he slowly withdraws the magazine from his pocket. He lays it down on the desk and almost cringes as Brennan's eyes widen in shock. He holds his breath waiting for her response. He expects her to get angry, to start shouting but she remains silent, her mouth hanging open as she reads the awful words about herself.

"This…none of it is…I don't even…" she whispers. "Who would…" she looks up and meets Booth's eyes. He sees her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears and he wants nothing more than to hold her and promise her it will all be okay. But this time he doesn't know that it will.

"I…" she suddenly rises to her feet and pushes past Booth, throwing the door open and bolting. Booth watches her leave, torn between running after her and giving her the space she obviously wants. He chooses the latter and waits patiently for her to return when she has composed herself. It's clear she doesn't want him to see her upset.

XxXxXxXxX

When Brennan reaches the bathroom she propels herself into the first stall and throws up the contents of her stomach. Slumping back against the door of the stall, she heaves deep breathes and wipes furiously at the tears running down her face. Flooding through her mind are the false words written by a man she has never met which look like they are going to ruin her career and her life. She can't believe she had to find it out from Booth either. He must have read the article and despite it being lies she feels dirty and ashamed. Picking herself up, she exits the stall, splashes some water on her face then dries off then exits the bathroom. Thankful she has her keys in her jeans pockets, Brennan heads straight for the underground parking lot. She can't go back to the lab to face Booth or her colleagues. She decides the safest place is at her apartment where she can be alone.

XxXxXxXxX

Booth waits for five minutes for Brennan to return before stepping out of the office to go look for her. He runs straight into Angela who is oblivious to the whole debacle.

"Booth?" she asks, picking up immediately on his tense body language.

"You seen Bones?" he asks quietly. Angela shakes her head. "We need to find her."

"What's going on?" Angela asks. Booth shows her the magazine article and Angela's face falls.

"Oh my God." She whispers as she scans the pages. "But Brennan has never dated this guy." She states. "I know every man she has gone out with, even just the once, and he is not one of them." She meets Booth's eyes and he knows she's being completely honest.

"I don't know what this is about Ang, but Bones is…well." He shrugs.

"Where do you think she's gone?"

"Home I imagine." Booth nods. "I'm going to head over there. Call me if she comes back here." Angela nods and watches as Booth strides purposefully across the lab. She knows he must feel terrible about being the one to tell Brennan about this disgusting article.

XxXxXxXxX

Booth knocks on Brennan's apartment door again. He leans against the wall, determined not to leave until he has seen her.

"Come on Bones, please open up." Inside her apartment, Brennan is slumped on the floor by the door, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her face is stained with tears, her eyes red rimmed from crying. When Booth first knocked she was tempted to open up but by the time she reached the door the sickening feeling in her stomach returned and she just knew she wouldn't be able to face him.

"Temperance, please." Booth begs. "I need to know you're okay."

"Of course I'm not okay." She barks. Part of her still wants to open the door and have Booth hold her like he always does when things go wrong but a bigger part of her is too ashamed to let him in. Despite none of the article being true, she feels like she has been exposed and she feels more vulnerable now than she has ever felt before. The story has implications for her friends, her job and her credibility. _How can I be taken seriously when sex stories are being spread across the country about me?_

"Will you at least open the door?" Booth asks, resting his palm flat against the door and leaning in close to see if he can hear her.

"Go away Booth." She sighs heavily.

"I'm not going anywhere until you open up." He tells her firmly.

"Well you'll be waiting a long time then."

"Fine by me." Booth turns around and sits down on the floor, resting his back against the heavy wooden door. Brennan hears some strange movements and is startled.

"Booth?"

"Right here Bones."

"Why _are_ you still here?" she asks, wiping a few stray tears from her face.

"Because I'm worried about you." He replies as if it's a casual fact.

"Worry about me from your own place."

"Sorry, no can do. Until you open the door and let me see you, I'm not going anywhere." There are a few moments of silence then Booth is caught off guard as Brennan pulls open the door. Having been resting all his weight on the door, when it opens, Booth falls and lands flat on his back halfway inside Brennan's apartment. He looks up to see her standing over him frowning. He quickly scrambles to his feet and moves inside before she can close the door on him.

"You've seen me. Now will you leave?" she asks, her hand resting on the doorknob.

"Nope." He shakes his head.

"Booth, I'm not really in the mood for this. My life is falling apart in case you hadn't noticed."

"Your life is not falling apart." He shakes his head.

"No? So everyone I know is not going to read these…stories…about me, judge me and ridicule me?" she glares at him.

"None of it's true."

"_I_ know that. But no one else will. Booth don't you realise what this means? I won't be able to help you on cases anymore because I won't be able to go before a jury. My credibility is gone. That means my position at the Jeffersonian is in jeopardy too."

"I know it seems bad at the moment."

"Seems?" she suddenly yells. "There is no 'seems' about it Booth. It _is_ bad!" she slams the door shut and storms to the kitchen, planting her hands on the counter to steady her shaking body. Booth walks over and places a hand gently on her shoulder but Brennan pulls away from him sharply.

"Don't touch me Booth." She wraps her arms around her body and backs into a corner, lowering her head so she is no longer looking at him. She can't stand that Booth has an image of her that isn't her, one that's soiled.

"I'm sorry." Booth apologises quietly as he stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Bones, we're going to fix this." He adds.

"Really." Brennan scoffs, meeting his eyes briefly. "And how do you suggest we _fix_ this?"

"I don't know right now Bones." Booth admits. "But we'll fix it, I promise." He reaches out for her again, placing his hand on her shoulder again. This time she doesn't shrug him away but she doesn't move any closer either. Her head drops and fresh tears begin to fall as she thinks about how everything she has worked for is falling apart around her.

"Come here." Booth closes the gap between them and pulls her into his arms. She resists at first, remaining stiff. But as Booth places a soft kiss on the top of her head and rubs gentle circles on her back she gradually relaxes and lets her tears fall freely.

"Why me?" she sobs. "I don't understand."

"I don't know Bones, but we'll get to the bottom of it." He assures her.

XxXxXxXxX

_**Again, please take the time to review. Like all writers, I love to hear your thoughts on my work**_


	3. Chapter 3

Early the following morning, Temperance Brennan walks into the lab with her head held high. She may be feeling embarrassed and ashamed but she knew deep down she knows she has no reason to and the best way to show people you are not giving in to gossip is to stand up tall and show confidence. Yet as she walks to her office she can't help but shake on the inside as the few lab technicians already at work stare at her. She begins to hurry her steps as she draws closer to the safety of her office, finally making it inside.

No sooner has she taken off her jacket and set her bag down than her boss, Dr Camile Saroyan appears in her doorway.

"I wasn't sure you would be in today." She says to Brennan. Brennan turns and looks at her.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You know, the whole magazine thing." Cam shrugs and steps inside.

"It's not true." Brennan replies quietly.

"I know. Listen, I need to talk to you." Cam's voice turns seriously and Brennan senses something bad is coming. She stands up straight and focuses on Cam.

"I had a meeting with the board directors late last night." She begins. Brennan doesn't really need to hear the rest, she knows what is coming. "I'm sorry Brennan. Until this is cleared up, the directors have instructed that you should be suspended." Cam states. Brennan visibly recoils.

"Suspended?"

"I'm sorry. If it were up to me this wouldn't be happening." Brennan merely hangs her head and nods. "If it means anything, Hodgins stood up for you 100. He was adamant that you shouldn't be suspended. Unfortunately he was overruled. The board feels you shouldn't be representing the institution." Brennan warms a little on the inside, knowing that her friend had her back.

"I suppose this suspension begins immediately?" Brennan asks.

"Yes." Cam replies. "You'll have to leave." Brennan takes a step back and perches on the edge of the desk.

"What are my chances of coming back?" she asks quietly.

"I honestly don't know." Cam shakes her head. She watches as Brennan picks up her jacket and bag and begins walking towards her.

"Temperance." Cam stops Brennan as she is about to pass her with a hand on Brennan's arm. "For what its worth, I hope you work this out."

"Thanks." Brennan nods and begins to walk back across the lab. This time she doesn't feel quite so confident. Her shoulders are slouched and her head is not lifted like normal. Cam watches from the doorway to Brennan's office, knowing that this could be the last time Brennan is in this lab. Despite their differences, she knows the lab will not be the same without the feisty doctor.

xxxx

When the rest of the team, Booth included, arrive at the lab, Cam has to break the news to them. Well, only Angela, Booth and Zach since Hodgins is more than aware of what has been going on behind closed doors. Angela is visibly distraught, tears forming in her eyes. Booth looks mad as hell, his brow furrowing and his stance becoming defensive. Zach remains silent but everyone knows he is processing the information at lightening speed and probably formulating a means to get Brennan off suspension.

"We need to fix this." Booth states.

"How?" Angela asks.

"I don't know yet. The name that bastard gave the magazine is false, it came back to some 80 year old guy. But whoever he is, he can't get away with this."

"I'm going to make some calls. Maybe we can find out from the magazine who he really is." Hodgins announces.

"You really think they'll tell you?" Angela asks.

"If I threaten them with legal action, yeah." Hodgins says seriously. He doesn't normally like acknowledging his family and what resources he has but in circumstances like this he knows he can use them for good.

"You do that, I'm gonna call Bones, see how she is." Booth reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his cell.

"I'm going to work on the board members." Cam nods. Everyone looks at her, a little surprised. "Dr Brennan and I may not always get along but I don't want to see her kicked out of here anymore than you guys." She explains. Angela suddenly steps forward and pulls Cam into an embrace.

"Thank you." She whispers.

Xxxx

Brennan is sitting on the grass in a park not far from her apartment building when her cell rings. She hadn't felt like going home and the park offered a quiet place to think. The caller ID tells her it is Booth and for a moment she contemplates ignoring it but she knows he'll just keep calling. So with a heavy sigh she flips open the phone and holds it to her ear.

"Hey Bones." Booth says sympathetically.

"So you heard then." She sighs.

"I was just with Cam and the squints."

"Hmm."

"Hodgins is making some calls." Booth offers optimistically. "And Cam said she would work on the board members." He waits for a response but Brennan doesn't give him one. "Bones, you can't give up."

"Why not Booth." She says. "Even if I get my job back, my career is ruined. No one will take me seriously again."

"Don't say that Bones."

"It's true. Everything I've worked for is over. What use am I if I can't do my job?" Her question is more of a rhetorical one.

"Bones."

"Booth, don't. I can't do this now."

"Talk to me, please." Booth begs. He doesn't like how defeatist Brennan seems. It worries him.

"Later." She says before swiftly hanging up on him. She tucks her phone back into her bag and leans back against the tree, closing her eyes. If yesterday she thought her world was falling apart, today those pieces have been shredded. Without her job, her work, Dr Temperance Brennan is just Temperance Brennan; daughter of criminals and social outcast.

Xxxx

Back at the lab, Booth looks at his cell, not quite believing that Brennan hung up on him. He has never heard her sound so down before and he worries that maybe this time, he can't fix things. That leaves him feeling frustrated and he takes that frustration out by thumping his hand down on the cold steel of a lab table before him. He ignores the throbbing pain in his hand and storms off to find Hodgins. If someone doesn't give him some good news soon he doesn't know what he'll do. He already feels useless.

Xxxx

Hodgins slams the phone down and groans. His call to his lawyers hadn't gone well. Apparently they have no legal case to force the magazine to give them information on the man who sold them the fake story about Brennan. Even if they could, the magazine may not have more information to give them. With all his resources, Hodgins feels like he has let Brennan down. He couldn't stop her suspension and now he can't get the information to track down the man ruining her life.

"Get anything?" Booth asks from the doorway. His face is steely with determination.

"Sorry man, we got no case against the magazine." Hodgins shakes his head. "My lawyers are looking into it further but for now we just have to wait." He shakes his head and sighs.

"It's okay Jack." Booth nods. "You've done everything you can." He backs away from the door and heads out of the lab. He needs some time to clear his head and think. He knows there must be something more that can be done, he just doesn't know what and all the stress around the lab isn't helping.

Xxxx

At home in her apartment, Brennan has unplugged her home phone, tired of all the crank calls she's been receiving. It surprises her how many people get a kick out of harassing people. She has also turned off her cell because she just isn't in the mood to talk to Booth and he keeps calling. She stopped checking her messages when his became repetitive. Each was along the lines of _'Bones, you can't hide away, you need to be with people who care about you. Call me.'_ Alone in her apartment, she sits in silence as the sun slowly goes down. A lone wine glass sits on the coffee table, half empty. She leans forward and picks it up, swirling the liquid around before drinking what remains in one go, hoping that somehow tomorrow, everything will be over.

xxxxx


	4. Chapter 4

_**I warned you at the start but here's another warning – things get very dark in this chapter. Will I make it all right in the end? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. Niah1988 - this posting is for you :)**_

Booth stands impatiently in the elevator as it takes him up to Brennan's floor. Brennan's cell was switched off and when he tried her home line, he got nothing. The operator told him the line was not connected. It just isn't like Brennan to cut herself off like this so he has decided the only way to talk to her is to do it in person. He can't help but notice the sinking feeling in his stomach as he walks along the hall to her door. His gut is telling him that something is wrong.

When he reaches her door, he knocks three times and waits for an answer. A few moments pass and there is no sign of life from within the apartment so Booth knocks again but a little harder this time. Knowing her car is in the parking garage, Booth is worried that Brennan hasn't answered the door so he fishes around in his pocket and pulls out his keys. Flipping through the various keys he has he finds the small silver one that will grant him access to Brennan's apartment. He slides the key into the lock, takes a deep breath and pushes the door open.

When Booth walks into the apartment, he immediately senses that something is very wrong. On the coffee table, at least five or six open bottles of beer are sitting out beside an almost empty bottle of vodka.

"Bones!" he calls out as he moves further into the apartment. "Bones, it's me!" he pokes his head around into the kitchen to see the counters littered with more beer bottles, some open, some still sealed. He continues through the apartment heading down the hall to Brennan's bedroom. The door is open a crack but he can't see anything inside yet. Slowly Booth pushes the door wide open but when he does, his jaw drops and his eyes widen in shock. Brennan is lying on the bed, her face deathly pale and a pill bottle clutched in her hand. Strewn across the floor are numerous white pills and Booth stands in the doorway stunned, his heart in his throat.

He recovers quickly though and rushes to her side, immediately feeling for a pulse. When his fingers catch a weak pulse he doesn't allow himself to feel relief. Instead he begins to shake Brennan, hoping she will wake up. Her head rolls to the side and he sees some movement behind her eyes but she isn't coming around.

"What did you take Bones?" he asks, more to himself. "What did you take?" He reaches for the pill bottle, pulling it from her limp grip and quickly establishes that Brennan has taken an overdose of painkillers. With his mind racing, Booth struggles to think of what to do. If this were anyone else he would probably be thinking clearly but this is his Bones and his emotions are ruling his head.

Finally, Booth grabs his cell and calls 911, advising the operator that Brennan is unconscious and has taken an overdose and gives her the address. Then, he pulls the sheets back and carefully pulls Brennan into his arms. She mumbles something but remains limp as he carries her through to the bathroom.

Once inside, Booth sets Brennan down inside the shower and turns on the cold water. Climbing in with her, he holds Brennan in his arms and lets the cold water gush over her. His hands hold her head under the powerful stream in the hope that the shock of the water will wake her up.

"Come on Bones, don't do this to me." he cries. Slowly, Brennan seems to come around a little and she begins to squirm in his arms. Her eyes flutter open and she coughs but she seems disoriented and not quite awake.

After a few minutes, Booth hears the paramedics coming through the front door and he calls out to them. They appear in the bathroom moments later with their kits and a stretcher.

"She's waking up." Booth tells them as the three men move Brennan out of the shower and onto the floor.

"Do you know what she's taken?" the younger paramedic asks.

"I found a pill bottle in her hand, it was vicodin." Booth gasps. "I found a lot of alcohol bottles. She's probably been drinking too."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of her." The second paramedic tells him. "But I need you to step back." Booth nods and moves out of the bathroom and into the doorway to give the paramedics room. As he waits, his cell rings.

"Booth." He answers as he runs a hand over his face.

"It's Angela, is she at home?" Booth hangs his head when he hears the young artist. How is he supposed to tell her that her best friend tried to kill herself?

"Angela, I don't want you to panic but you're going to have to meet me at D.C General."

"What happened Booth, is Bren okay?"

"No, she's not okay Angela." Booth's voice is heavy. "Please, just meet me there." He hangs up and turns back to the paramedics who are preparing Brennan to go to the hospital. She is unconscious again and secured to a stretcher for transport. As Booth looks down at his partner and his friend, his heart aches. He can't understand why Brennan would do this. It isn't like her.

xxxx

Booth is pacing the hallway outside the trauma room where Brennan is being worked on by several doctors and nurses. His suit is almost dry after being in the shower with Brennan but the expensive material is ruined. For once he doesn't care about it. Lost in his whirling mind he barely hears anything going on around him until someone frantically calling his name snaps him from his dark thoughts. He turns to see Angela and Hodgins hurrying down the hall towards them.

"Where is she, what's going on?" Angela demands.

"I went to her apartment." Booth begins. "I found her unconscious in bed. Angela." He reaches out and takes her hand. "She's taken an overdose."

"What!" Angela chokes out. "And overdose?"

"Painkillers." Booth shakes his head. "She was drinking too."

"But, this isn't…she would never…" Angela turns and buries herself in Hodgins embrace. Booth places a hand on her shoulder.

"Angela, we need to accept that fact that Temperance isn't as together as we think. Maybe it just all got too much?" Angela pulls away from Hodgins and turns to Booth again.

"I don't believe it Booth." She shakes her head. "Maybe it was an accident, maybe she…"

"Ang, you don't take an overdose by accident." Hodgins says softly.

"Is she going to die?" Angela gasps.

"I don't know." Booth shakes his head then turns to look through the window of the room Brennan is in. The doctors and nurses are rushing around her, putting in IV drips and trying to save her life. "I don't know."

**_Dum dum dum...Love to hear your thoughts_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**So I got some great reviews for my last chapter. I actually thought more readers would berate me for making Brennan out of character. I guess I did a good job of explaining her state of mind (shrugs). You all also seemed concerned that I was going to kill her. Well in this chapter you find out what happens...**_

After what seems comparable to eternity, a doctor emerges from the trauma room and approaches the three friends, waiting anxiously for news.

"How is she?" Booth asks, his words rushed and almost desperate sounding.

"I'm Dr Harris." He says. "We've stabilised Dr Brennan and she'll be moved to a room shortly."

"Thank god." Angela sighs and embraces Hodgins releases a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"She was very lucky you got to her when you did. Another hour or two and we wouldn't be having this conversation." Dr Harris notices the pained looks on all three and takes a deep breath. "We'll need to keep Dr Brennan in for a few days for monitoring and she'll have to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before she can be released."

"A psychiatric evaluation?" Booth asks.

"It's standard procedure for all suicide attempts." Upon hearing those words all three are stunned. Having someone verbalise what Brennan has done is too shocking. "You'll be able to see her shortly but she isn't likely to be coherent for some time. We're also running some tests but those results won't be back for a few hours."

"I understand." Booth replies quietly.

"I'll be on the floor all day if you have day questions." Dr Harris adds.

Xxxx

Booth sits slouched in the chair beside Brennan's hospital bed. She has been asleep for hours, not moving a muscle. Her head is turned away from Booth and her arms folded across her stomach. Booth has not left her side for two hours, determined to be there when she wakes. His head nods forward as exhaustion finally seems to take him over but he is soon woken when he hears a quiet moan.

"Bones." He gasps and leans forward, grasping her hand, suddenly completely alert. She rolls her head to face him and blinks her eyes open. "Hey." He smiles to reassure her but she looks scared and confused.

"Where…what…" she whispers.

"You're in the hospital." Booth tells her softly as he brushes her hair back from her face. "But you're going to be okay."

"What happened?" she asks weakly, her voice hoarse.

"Uh, I found you in your apartment Bones. You took some pills." He looks into her eyes as he tells her but what he sees surprises him. She looks confused, like she really doesn't understand what he's talking about.

"I didn't…what pills?"

"Vicodin." Booth sighs.

"No, no I wouldn't." Brennan starts to get worked up and she begins to move in the bed, twisting her body and trying to sit up. "I didn't take anything." She protests weakly. "I didn't."

"It's okay Bones." Booth soothes, brushing his hand across her forehead. "We're going to work through this. We'll get you the help you need."

"I don't need help." She struggles to sit up. "I didn't take anything."

"Please Bones." Booth sighs and gently presses her shoulder back down to the bed. "You need to get some rest." A knock on the door attracts his attention and looks over to see Dr Harris in the doorway.

"Uh Agent Booth, can I talk to you?" Dr Harris asks. Booth looks from Brennan to the Doctor then back to Brennan.

"I'll be right back okay." He says before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

xxxx

Out in the hallway, Booth walks over to meet Dr Harris. The doctor looks grave.

"You said Dr Brennan took pills?" he asks.

"Yes, I found the bottle in her hand, there were pills on the floor too."

"And she was drinking?"

"Her apartment was full of empty beer bottles and a bottle of vodka." Booth replies with frustration. "Why are we going back over this?"

"I've been going through Dr Brennan's test results and talked with the nurses. We didn't find any pills in her stomach." Dr Harris states. "But her blood tests show she had high levels of vicodin."

"I don't understand." Booth shakes his head, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"She also had traces of a sedative and only a minute trace of alcohol in her system."

"Doc, you're going to have to explain what all this means." Booth furrows his brown in confusion.

"It means that Dr Brennan did not swallow any pills. I believe she was given a sedative and injected with vicodin."

"What?"

"One of the nurses found a small puncture mark on her arm. At first we thought it was from her treatment in the ER but our records confirm she was not injected with anything in that arm." Dr Harris explains.

"I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying she injected _herself_ with the drug?"

"What I'm saying is it is very likely that someone gave Dr Brennan a sedative then injected her with vicodin. The level of sedative in her system now shows that the dose she took was enough to render her unconscious. Injecting her with vicodin would have been easy after that. You need to look into the possibility that this was a murder attempt Agent Booth." Dr Harris can see that Booth is having a hard time taking all this in so he stops talking and takes a step back.

"I can't…I have to talk to Bones." Booth brushes past the doctor and races back into Brennan's room, the new information flooding through his mind.

xxxx

When Booth re-enters Brennan's room she is lying motionless on the bed, her slightly glazed eyes focused out the window of the room. He walks around the bed and sits down, leaning close to the bed.

"Bones, I need to know what you remember about last night." Booth tries to sound calm as he takes her hand and rubs gentle circles on the back.

"You believe me don't you Booth?" she asks anxiously. "I didn't take anything, I didn't try to kill myself." A lone tear rolls down her cheek. Booth wipes it away with his thumb.

"I do Bones, I believe you." He feigns a smile. "But I need you to tell me what happened last night." He urges. Brennan pauses before speaking again.

"I can't…I don't remember." She whispers.

"Bones, you need to try. I think someone drugged you, that they tried to kill you." Brennan's eyes widen as she takes in Booth's words. Then she sinks back down into the pillow and closes her eyes.

"I uh…I remember going home and sitting in the dark thinking." She opens her eyes to find Booth staring at her intently.

"Then what?" he presses.

"I drank a glass of wine, only a glass. I remember getting really tired so I went to bed."

"Anything else?" Booth asks, gripping her hand tightly.

"Nothing, just…just waking up here." She starts to get upset and her shoulders begin to shake as tears threaten to spill over.

"It's going to be alright Bones." Booth pulls Brennan up off the bed and hugs her, his hand rubbing her back. "I'm going to make this okay, I promise."

Xxxx

_**So you can all rest easy. I didn't kill Brennan, I didn't even have her try to kill herself. It was all the work of….stay tuned to find who.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**You guys rock for your reviews. **_

_**I'm going to shamelessly plug another story I've posted now. It's a Co-authored with Niah1988 and Elvawen called **__**"The One Where Bones Is In Danger"**__** and you should totally check it out and send me your reviews. Niah, Elva and myself love hearing what you think :)**_

Booth stands in Brennan's apartment surveying the activity as an FBI forensics team takes the place apart. The bottle of wine Brennan drank from along with the glass, have already been bagged. Booth suspects the sedative was in the wine since that was the only thing Brennan said she drank when she got home. Surfaces are being dusted for prints and outside the apartment the dumpster is being checked for any evidence that might have dumped by Brennan's attacker. As he watches all the goings-on, Booth is distracted by loud voices in the hall. He makes his way there and sees Angela trying to get through the yellow tape. She is currently being pushed back by a Police Officer.

"Booth!" she calls to him. He waves her through and she rushes over.

"Is it true?" she asks, her eyes pleading.

"I think so." Booth nods.

"Thank God. I knew she wouldn't do this." _I knew she would never attempt suicide._

"We need to find out who did. They may not stop at this." Booth says gravely.

"Is she safe? At the hospital I mean."

"I have two agents watching over her until I get back."

"She wants me to bring her some clothes."

"Right." Booth nods. "Uh give me a minute and I'll clear the bedroom for you."

Xxxx

Brennan is sitting up in bed feeling a lot better when Booth returns.

"Hey Bones." He smiles when he walks in, seeing her with colour back in her cheeks.

"Hey." She replies.

"You feeling better?"

"Some." She nods. "Still a little nauseous."

"To be expected I guess." He shrugs.

"Any leads?"

"We've collected some evidence. It's being analysed as we speak."

"Do you have any idea who did this to me?"

"I'm sure it's the same guy who had that story printed about you but we don't know who he really is yet. I did call in a behavioural analyst from the Bureau. He's profiling the suspect. Based on the method in which he tried to kill you, we can safely assume he's not your run of the mill killer."

"You thought I did it, didn't you?" Brennan asks quietly, unable to meet his eyes. Booth is a little shocked and doesn't reply. "It's okay Booth, you can tell me."

"I found you unconscious in bed with a bottle of pills in your hand Bones." He sighs. "And you've been through so much. I can't deny that I thought maybe it had gotten too much for you." He turns to look at her. "I was wrong Bones. I should have known you would never do something like that."

"I understand Booth." She nods. "And you shouldn't feel bad for thinking it. I was feeling…low, like my life was over." She admits. "I didn't know, still don't know how to deal with those feelings. I've never felt like that before, not even with everything that happened with my parents and Russ."

"But you would never take your own life. I know that." He pauses. "I'm going to find whoever did this to you." He assures her. "I promise."

Xxxx

Booth's promise is turning out a lot harder to keep. After three days he is no closer to finding out who is responsible for drugging Brennan. Lab tests on the evidence taken from her apartment came back clean. There was not a fingerprint to be found, other than Brennan's. The doorman could not recall seeing anyone out of the ordinary either entering or leaving the building but he did admit that he was not present at the desk the whole time. Although it is a secure building, Brennan's apartment has no security cameras so there is no way to establish who came or went from the building in the days around when Brennan was attacked.

With a heavy heart, Booth walks down the hospital hallway to Brennan's room. The doctor is finally happy to release her after her latest tests showed her blood levels as normal. A psychiatrist had still insisted on an evaluation but concluded that whilst Brennan was clearly feeling low, perhaps a little depressed even, she was not a danger to herself and had readily agreed with Dr Harris' conclusions that Brennan's overdose was forced.

When Booth enters the room, Brennan is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at her feet as they dangle above the floor.

"You ready to go Bones?" he asks. She glances up and he is surprised to see a small smile on her face. With everything happening to her right now, he wonders how she can have anything to smile about.

"Sure." She nods as she slides off the bed. Booth notices how her shoulders are hunched and her head still hangs low, like she still feels the shame associated with the article and her overdose, neither of which she was responsible for.

"Angela and Jack tidied up your apartment last night." Booth says. "They wanted to make sure it was ready for you."

"That was nice of them." Brennan smiles as she walks across the room to join Booth. He slips his arm across her shoulders and guides her out the room, but not before picking up her bag which had been sitting at the door.

"So I thought tonight we could watch a movie and get some take-out." Booth says lightly as they make their way down the hall towards the exit.

"You don't have to babysit me Booth." Brennan sighs.

"I'm not babysitting you Bones." He stops and turns to look at her. "You've been through a rough time this week and I just want to hang out with you, keep you company. That's all." _And make sure that psycho doesn't get to you again _he adds to himself.

Xxxx

As Booth turns his SUV into Brennan's street he immediately realises that something is very wrong. At the far end of the street several fire engines are parked awkwardly, bright orange flames can be seen licking out of the windows of a building and thick black smoke fills the early evening air. It doesn't take Booth long to realise that the fire is in Brennan's building. _This is not a coincidence_.

"Booth?" Brennan glances at her partner as he slows the SUV and comes to a stop at the edge of the cordoned off area.

"Bones, wait in the car." He says firmly as he quickly takes off his seatbelt. She watches him jump out and hurry over to the fire chief who seems to be directing the crews. She can't hear what he is saying but from his gestures she knows it is not good news. Without realising what she's doing, Brennan gets out of the SUV and starts walking over. Looking up at the building she can see the strongest flames are coming from her windows. Her walk becomes a run as she thinks about everything she is losing. All her photographs, artefacts, clothes; everything that makes her who she is burning.

Booth turns just in time to see Brennan making a run for the building. He quickly darts over and as she ducks under the yellow tape he is right behind her, reaching out. Before she can get any closer, Booth wraps his arms tight around her from behind, one arm held across her stomach, the other over her chest effectively pinning her arms at her sides.

"Booth, let me go." She yells, squirming to get away. All she can think about is getting in to save whatever she can.

"Bones, it's too dangerous. You have to wait here." He tries to sound calm but his voice is still raised.

"No, that's my apartment, my home." She shouts, tears rolling down her face. "Let me go." She struggles against Booth's tight grip but it gets her nowhere.

"Temperance, please." He whispers in her ear. Gradually he feels Brennan relax and she stops struggling, becoming limp. She leans back against Booth's chest and lets him hold her up as all the energy she had leaves her body.

"It's all gone." She sobs. "Everything."

"I know Bones. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Booth soothes, tightening his hold her and keeping her on her feet.

xxxx

Half an hour later the fire chief instructs all the bystanders to leave the scene. He declares that fire will take some time to put out and he doesn't want anyone getting hurt. Booth pulls Brennan with him back to the SUV. She goes with him but reluctantly so, her head turning back to watch the flames. She is lost in her thoughts and doesn't realise she is sitting in the SUV driving down the street until Booth grasps her hand.

"I spoke with Cullen. We're going to get you set up in a hotel until we know who did this." He says.

"I…" Brennan begins to speak but trails off, not really having anything to say. With her apartment in flames, she doesn't really have an alternative.

"There will be an Agent stationed outside your room at all times and I'll be staying next door with a team. Brennan remains silent, not knowing what to say. Her silence concerns Booth a little and he keeps hold of her hand as he drives, silently assuring her.

Xxxx

The hotel room is surprisingly nice. Brennan takes a moment to look around, inspecting the bathroom and the bedroom. There is a small area with a couch and a television making it seem more like an apartment than a hotel room.

"I know it's hard Bones, but you need to try and get some rest tonight." Booth tells her softly. Three FBI agents are currently hovering in the room, pretending to be checking things out, but really they are just eavesdropping on the partners. Their working relationship is a widely discussed topic at the FBI and some agents even have a pool on when the two will get together.

"Uh guys, can you give us a minute?" Booth sounds like he's asking a question but the agents know it isn't a request.

"Sure Booth." One of them replies as he gestures for the other two to follow him out. As soon as the room is clear Booth walks over to Brennan and rests a hand on her shoulder.

"I can't tell you I understand how you feel Bones, but trust me when I say no matter how long it takes, I'm going to nail him." His voice is low and serious.

"I know Booth." Brennan nods and leans towards Booth a little, comforted by his presence.

"Agents Richards and Evans will be outside your door and if you need me for anything I'll be right next door." He takes a step closer to her and his hand moves from her shoulder to cup her cheek. "Try to get some sleep. You need to get your strength back." He bends down a little so he can look directly into her eyes. A little smile appears on his face and Brennan responds with a weak smile of her own.

"Thank you Booth." She whispers as she wraps her arms around him and hugs him. Booth slips his arms around her back and holds her body close to his.

"Goodnight Temperance." He whispers before he pulls back, a little reluctantly.

"Night." She nods and backs away, wrapping her arms around her chest. Booth backs away from her towards the door. When he opens it, Brennan can see the two agents standing outside and she feels a sense of security. _At least nothing can happen to me here_ she thinks.

Xxxx

Brennan is sleeping soundly when she is woken by a sudden weight on her body. Her eyes fly open in time to see a man looming over her with a gun aimed at her face.

"Don't make a sound." He grunts as he moves off the bed and drags Brennan out and to her feet. She stands terrified as the rough looking man pushes her against the wall.

"This ends tonight." He whispers harshly in her ear. "Tonight you pay."

_**Dum dum dum……Oops, another cliffie. Didn't mean to….or did I????? **_


	7. Chapter 7

_**The penultimate chapter to this story is here folks. Only one more to go. Enjoy**_

Early in the morning, Booth emerges from his hotel room after a tedious night with other agents and very little rest. He walks the short distance to Brennan's room and greets the two FBI agents are still stationed outside, albeit looking weary.

"Guys." He nods as they let him by to go in. When Booth enters he assumes Brennan is still sleeping since she doesn't appear to be up and around yet. Thankful that she has gotten a good night of sleep, Booth pokes his head around to look into the bedroom to wake her up. The bed sheets are twisted and look like they have been slept in but Brennan is nowhere to be seen.

"Bones?" Booth takes a few steps and knocks on the closed bathroom door. He waits for her reply but gets nothing. "Bones?" he knocks harder, his heart starting to beat a little faster. When she does not reply for a second time, he turns the handle and throws it open. The bathroom is empty. Booth strides over to the main door and yanks it open.

"Where the hell is she!" he yells at the two Agents.

"Booth? What are you talking about?" one of them says. Booth grabs him by the collar and slams him into the wall.

"Where the hell is she?" he repeats. "You were supposed to make sure no one came or went from this room. She's gone! Now where is she?" he demands.

"Agent Booth." The other Agent grabs his arms and pulls him off his colleague. "No one came near this room all night."

"Well she's gone."

"She can't be." The first Agent replies as he straightens his jacket. The second Agent enters the room and looks around.

"We have a problem." He announces.

Xxxx

Across town, Brennan sits rigid on an old wooden chair, her hands tied behind her back. A gag over her mouth prevents her from making any noise. In front of her, her abductor paces back and forth, his gun held loosely in his hand at his side.

"You think I'm a wimp." He mutters. "For not killing you already." He chuckles. "I'm not a wimp. I just want to make you suffer." He stops pacing and turns to her. "You're going to die Temperance. I'm going to make sure you die in the worst way possible." he grunts. Brennan watches him with wide eyes, her heart pounding almost out of her chest. She wonders if Booth knows she's missing yet, if he knows how her abductor got her out the hotel room without being seen, if he has any idea who this maniac is.

Xxxx

Booth is frantic. He has been incapable of logical thought processes since the moment he realised Brennan was gone. All he can think about is how he broke his promise. He let Brennan down. He told her she would be safe. He promised her he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Fortunately, the team around him has sprung into action and is currently busy trying to establish how someone got into the hotel room in the first place and then managed to get Brennan out unnoticed by anyone and unseen by any security camera.

"I got it!" a rookie agent yells, attracting the attention of the whole room, Booth included.

"What? What have you got?" Booth asks as he strides over to the young man.

"I went back over the blueprints for the hotel. There's a ventilation duct on these older plans. It was sealed when they refurbished. It wasn't on the plans we were given when we checked the hotel out." The rookie explains. He points on the blueprints where the duct is and where it leads to. Booth follows the trail and sees that it leads a long winding path down to the back of the hotel where there is an entry/exit point in the back alley.

"I want prints, now!" Booth orders. Three Agents scurry forwards to the wall hidden by the television where the ventilation duct came out. He sighs heavily and runs his hand over his face, cursing under his breath when his cell rings.

"Booth." He grunts.

"It's Angela." The soft voice of Brennan's best friend fills Booth with both warmth and dread. Angela is always calm in a crisis but he is terrified to tell her that Brennan has been abducted.

"Angela." He sighs.

"There's someone at the lab you need to come talk to." She says.

"I'm a little busy right now."

"She says she knows who tried to kill Bren." Angela says, her voice sounding urgent.

"Who is she?" Booth asks, his eyes widening.

"She works at the magazine. She says she knows the real name and address of the man who gave them the story."

"Angela. Keep her there. I'll be right over."

"Booth, are you okay? You sound…strange." Angela comments.

"He has her." Booth almost whispers.

"What?"

"This guy, this bastard. He got into Brennan's room and kidnapped her last night."

"Booth." Angela's voice is barely audible.

"Angela, don't panic. I'm doing enough of that for the both of us. I'll be there in twenty." He snaps his phone shut, orders another Agent to take charge and hurries down the hall.

Xxxx

Angela is anxiously pacing Brennan's office when Booth practically runs through the door.

"Booth." She throws herself at him and hugs him tightly. He wraps his arms around her and squeezes her tight.

"It's okay Ang, we'll get her back." Across the room a petite young woman rises to her feet and coughs. Booth releases Angela and looks over.

"Agent Booth, my name is Stacey Whitman." She introduces herself. "I work in the accounts department for the magazine that story was published in."

"Angela said you know who this guy is?"

"I'll probably get fired for this but I've always been a big fan of Dr Brennan's books and I never believed the story in the magazine. I heard what happened to her so I did some digging." She produces a sheet of paper. "My department has a record of everyone who receives payment for a story. This is the name and address of the man who received payment for the story in Dr Brennan." She takes a few tentative steps forward and thrusts the paper at Booth. He glances over it then looks at Stacey.

"Thank you." He nods. "Angela. I have to go."

Xxxx

Brennan's abductor yanks off her gag then cuts the ropes binding her hands. The only thing preventing her from immediately fighting back is the presence of the gun. He has not let is go for even a moment and since Brennan knows it is useless to fight when a gun is involved she, remains still.

"Good girl." He says as he steps back and leans against the counter. "Now, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to put the gun in your hand, hold it to your head and make you pull the trigger." He laughs. "The great Dr Brennan succeeds in taking her own life on the second attempt."

"No one will believe it. They already know I didn't take that overdose myself." She tells him, finding a strength in her voice she didn't expect.

"Maybe not. But since no one knows who I am they'll never catch me." He shrugs and stands up straight. As he walks towards Brennan, he is momentarily distracted by something outside the window. Brennan seizes the opportunity. Normally she wouldn't put up a fight against a man with a gun but she doesn't feel she has a choice. If she doesn't try he'll definitely kill her.

Taking her abductor off guard, Brennan lunges at him and manages to knock the gun from his hand. It slides across the wooden floor and under a chest of drawers.

"Bitch!" he slaps her hard across the face, sending her flying to the ground. Brennan wipes her lip with the back of her hand, choosing to ignore the blood she can taste in her mouth.

"You'll pay for that." He grunts as he grabs her roughly by the hair and yanks her to her feet. She begins to fight back, throwing punches and kicking out at him. Having any energy to even attempt to fight surprises her. She didn't think that after the overdose and her kidnapping she would have the energy to fight but she figures the fight or flight response has kicked in and she can't flee so she has to fight.

"Think you're tough huh?" he laughs as he barely feels her weak blows. With a simple push he sends her flying across the room and into the wall where she falls and slumps down. As he advances towards her she scrambles backwards towards the corner of the room, her back turned to him for only a few seconds. He uses those seconds to his advantage.

"Not so tough now huh?" he says as he kicks her back repeatedly. Brennan grunts and turns over so she is facing him. He immediately kicks her, catching her arm which she was using to protect her body.

"Who are you?" she demands. She has had enough of his games and wants to know who is trying to kill her.

"You know exactly who I am. You embarrassed me Temperance. You can't do that to a man and get away with it."

"I don't know what you're talking about" Brennan says truthfully. She hopes talking will buy some time. He crouches down and stares into her bright blue eyes, misted by unshed tears.

"Don't play that game with me." He grabs her hair and yanks Brennan to her feet again. "I'm not stupid." He growls.

"No?" Brennan taunts. She doesn't know why she did it as it clearly aggravated him more but sometimes she just says things without thinking.

"Bitch!" he pushes her back against the wall putting a few feet between the pair; unknowingly giving Brennan the time and space she needs to compose herself. As he comes at her again, Brennan uses all her energy to strike out, kicking him in the knee hard so he falls. When he goes down she keeps kicking him until he finally rolls over and stops moving.

xxxx

Booth kicks the front door wide open and stalks inside the small single apartment, his gun drawn. Several agents follow close behind. As Booth sweeps through into the main room, he immediately lowers his weapon, his body flooded with feelings of relief.

"Bones?" She is standing looking down at a man lying on the floor, a blank look on her face. Booth approaches slowly and takes a moment to assess Brennan. She has several cuts and bruises to her face, she is resting all her weight on her right leg and her left arm is held protectively over her stomach.

"Bones?" Booth tries again and this time Brennan turns to him.

"Can I go home now?" she asks weakly. Booth relaxes and smiles as the other agents move in and secure the man lying unconscious on the ground. Booth reaches out and Brennan limps towards him, letting him guide her out the room and into the bright morning sun.

"You need to go to the hospital." Booth tells her. He can see she has taken quite a beating and he's concerned she has serious injuries. Brennan turns to him.

"You know, I don't think that's such a bad idea." She smiles weakly then taking Booth off guard, she collapses in his arms.

xxxx

Brennan blinks her eyes open, taking a few moments to adjust to the bright lighting. A soft groan crosses her lips and she senses someone moving in the room. A warm hand grasps hers and she opens her eyes to see Booth looking down at her.

"Hey Bones." He grins.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than I did earlier." She winces as she struggles to sit up. Booth reaches behind her and shifts her pillows so she can sit up. "I think it's the drugs." She smiles as she gets settled.

"Well you did need them." Booth nods and without her needing to ask, he hands her the chart from the end of her bed. Wordlessly Brennan accepts it and flicks through the pages to assess her injuries.

"The only broken bone I have is my ulna?" she glances from the chart to the cast on her left arm.

"You're pretty tough Bones." Booth nods. "But you do have severe bruising to your back. You also won't be walking on your left ankle for a while." He pauses as he sits down. "Oh, and don't plan on entering any beauty pageants anytime soon. You've got some nasty bruising around your eye and your head."

"Like I'd enter anyway." She jokes.

"In all seriousness Bones." Booth leans forward. "You were lucky."

"I know." She nods.

"But he's in custody now and he's talking….some."

"What did he say?"

"Well apparently all this was over you rejecting him in a bar a few months ago."

"What?"

"Yeah, apparently you turned him down when he offered to buy you a drink and that triggered something in his unbalanced mind. My guess is he'd been rejected by a lot of women and you were just the straw that broke the camel's back."

"Hmm."

"We're getting footage from the bar to see if we can confirm the story."

"He spread lies about me, tried to ruin my career and kill me just because I refused to let him buy me a drink?" Brennan seems confused about why he would do it.

"He's unbalanced Bones." Booth nods. "If I got the dates right, the night he met you was just after the Tomlinson case."

"I was at the bar. I needed a few stiff drinks after that case." Brennan recalls.

"I had Parker so I wasn't with you."

"Would that have made a difference?"

"It might have. If you were with me, he probably wouldn't have thought you were single and available and never approached you so none of this would have happened."

"Booth." Brennan gasps. "You're not blaming yourself for this, are you?"

"I was just saying…"

"Booth, this isn't your fault. Not in the slightest." He only nods in response.

"Dr Harris says you can go home in the morning." He changes the subject. "He made me promise not to leave your side, he doesn't want to see you back here again." He chuckles a little.

"Twice inside a week." Brennan nods. "I should get loyalty points." Her tone is serious but Booth bursts out laughing. Brennan looks at him curiously for a moment, wondering what she said that was so funny. But when she locks eyes with him and sees how brightly his eyes are sparking she breaks into a grin.

"This isn't funny. I nearly died twice. I think I even have the same room." She grins. "I know Bones." Booth sighs as he stops laughing. "I'm just glad you're okay." He reaches for her hand and grasps it tightly. "And I need to apologise."

"You have nothing to apologise for." She tells him.

"I screwed up Bones. We didn't know about the ventilation duct. If we did, he never would have gotten to you."

"Booth, you couldn't have know." Brennan assures him. "I had no doubt that you would find me." She adds.

"You put too much faith in me." Booth shakes his head.

"No, no I don't." Brennan smiles. Her eyes begin to close and she settles back into the pillow.

"Get some rest Bones." Booth stands up and leans over, gently kissing her forehead. "I'll come back a little later."

"Mmmm." Brennan mumbles as she drifts into an exhausted sleep. Booth remains in the room for a moment just watching her. While part of him is so relieved that she is okay, another part of him knows she has a long road back to recovery, not just physically but emotionally too.


	8. Chapter 8

**_So here it is. The final chapter. iI's been an awesome ride and I thank you all for your comments along the way. Don't forget to leave a review for this last chapter._**

Brennan sits impatiently in a wheelchair inside her hospital room, tapping her fingernails on the arm. Dr Harris has discharged her after a week of bed rest and she is anxious to leave, despite not being able to go home to her own apartment. Booth is supposed to be picking her up and taking her to a temporary apartment she is renting until she decides whether to move back to her old place one the refurbishment is complete or sell it on and move to a brand new place. Part of her wants to just sell the apartment and never go back after what happened there. But another part had begun to feel at home in that apartment and she isn't sure if she's ready to give up those feelings.

"Finally." She rolls her eyes and sighs heavily as Booth walks through the door with a small bounce in his step.

"So, you ready to go Bones?" Booth asks as he claps his hands together.

"I've been ready for an hour." She attempts to wheel herself forward but with her broken arm she is having difficulty.

"I got it Bones, I got it." Booth says quickly as he moves behind her and begins pushing the wheelchair.

"I could have done it myself." She pouts.

"I know but you want to get out of here today right?" he leans down and whispers in her ear. Brennan cocks her head to the side to look at him and a smile crosses her face.

"Let's go."

Xxxx

Half an hour later Booth pulls up to a small building near the Jeffersonian. Brennan had wanted to live close to work. The number of hours she works mean at the end of the day the last thing she wants is a long commute home.

"So this is the place Angela found?" Brennan peers out the window at the old brick building. Since she was in the hospital, Brennan trusted her best friend to find and rent a place on her behalf.

"It has a 24 hour doorman and security cameras on all floors, entrances and exits." Booth explains. He doesn't need anyone to tell him that Brennan needs to feel secure right now.

"Good." She replies quietly while Booth turns off the engine and unbuckles his seatbelt.

"You need a hand?" he asks, turning to her.

"No, I'm fine." She nods as she takes off her seatbelt just a little awkwardly because of the cast on her arm.

"Okay, I'll just get your stuff from the back then." Booth hops out the SUV and jogs around the back while Brennan climbs out. She rests all her weight on her good leg before tentatively taking a few steps. Her ankle had healed quite well but it was still a little swollen and sore to walk on.

"You good?" Booth asks, as he walks at her side while she heads slowly to the front entrance.

"I'm…good." She smiles and nods, not failing to notice how Booth keeps pace with her all the way to the door, just in case she needs any help. It takes them ten minutes to get inside and up to Brennan's new apartment. Booth unlocks the door and holds it open as Brennan limps inside. He hovers by the door as she takes in the sparse decoration and furnishings.

"It's not much, I know." He nods. "Depending how long you stay, we could maybe get you some more stuff, you know, a few throws, cushions…"

"It's fine Booth." Brennan interrupts him. "It's…fine." She sighs and walks a little further inside. Booth takes this as a good sign and he follows her in, firmly closing the door behind him before dropping her bag on the floor.

"What's that?" Brennan points to three boxes sitting almost hidden behind the couch. Booth peers around and sees that she has spotted the boxes.

"Oh, that." He smiles and walks over to them. "Uh, while you were in the hospital this week, the guys and I went to your apartment." He pulls the boxes over to the couch and gestures for Brennan to take a seat. She complies, curious about what he is going to show her.

"We rescued what we could. Some of it was burned beyond hope." Booth opens the first box and Brennan immediately spots familiar items.

"You did this?" she asks, looking into the box and pulling out an African fertility statue she brought back from one of her trips.

"Not just me. Angela, Zach and Hodgins helped."

"I…I don't know…what to say." Brennan replies, feeling tears building up behind her eyes.

"There are a few photos that are just singed around the edges." Booth lifts a picture frame from the pile to show her. She laughs lightly when she sees it is one of her favourite ones. It's a photo of her, the squints and Booth in Wong Fu's taken last year. She fingers the frame as Booth continues rummaging in the box. "And I'm not sure how he survived but…" Booth lifts something out the box, hides it in his hand then presents it to Brennan. Almost unscathed, little Jasper the pig sits on Booth's palm. She inhales a sharp breath and a few tears escape from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She knows its silly but to her, Jasper represents her relationship with Booth and she had been devastated when she thought the little toy pig had been burned in the fire.

"Hey." Booth smiles and quickly wipes the tears away with the pad of his thumb.

"Thank you." Brennan says quietly as she clutches Jasper tightly.

"Well, I'll leave you to sort through this stuff, see if you want to keep it all." He rises to his feet. "Angela stocked the fridge. I'm pretty sure there's a bottle of wine in there too." He waggles his eyebrows.

"Uh Booth." Brennan stops him in his tracks. He turns to look at her but she keeps her focus on Jasper.

"Yeah Bones?"

"Would you, um, maybe you could stay for dinner?" she asks, finally turning to look at him.

"Sure Bones." Booth nods and takes his seat back on the couch. He isn't quite ready to leave her anyway but he didn't want to impose if she wanted some time to herself to gather her thoughts. "Want me to order take-out?" he asks, pulling his cell from his jacket pocket.

"Sounds good." Brennan places Jasper on the small table beside the couch and rises to her feet.

xxxx

As Booth places a call to have Thai delivered, Brennan moves through to the kitchen. She pulls open the fridge and examines the contents. Smiling, she pulls the bottle of white wine from the shelf and places it on the counter. As soon as she hears Booth end his call she turns to him, leaning against the counter gently to avoid hurting her still slightly sore back.

"Cam called me at the hospital before you arrived." She says.

"Oh?" Booth twists to look at her.

"The board has reinstated me." She nods.

"Well that's great Bones."

"The magazine is also printing a full page apology. My lawyer threatened to sue the owners for everything they have now that the story has been proven false if they didn't."

"You're not suing?" Booth asks. Brennan turns and opens a couple of cupboards until she finds one with glasses in it. She tucks the wine bottle under her arm and carries the glasses by the stem in her good hand.

"I thought about it but I just want to forget all this ever happened. The magazine offered a settlement which I've accepted."

"Oh yeah?" Booth grins, wondering how much the magazine is offering.

"I don't care about the money." She tells him firmly.

"I know Bones." He nods.

"I'm making a donation to the Jeffersonian and to several charities." She explains as she sits down. Booth pulls the wine bottle from her and places it on the coffee table.

"So you'll be back at work next week then?" Booth asks as he fishes in his pocket for his keys. He has a bottle opener on the keychain which he uses to open the wine.

"Yes." Brennan nods. "I've rested long enough."

"A week Bones, you've been in hospital for a week." Booth laughs as he pours two glasses.

"And I was bored." She shrugs.

"Well you won't listen to me if I tell you to take some more time so…" he trails off.

"I think I'm keeping my apartment too." She nods. "My insurance will cover all the repairs but it'll take a while. This place will be fine until then."

"You sure? It's not much."

"It's enough." She smiles. She has her life. Everything else is a bonus.

Xxxx

A take-out order and a bottle of wine later, Brennan and Booth are sprawled out on the couch watching an old black and white movie on the simple television set before them. Brennan stifles a yawn with her hand and shifts positions, bringing her legs up onto the couch and curling them at her side.

"Maybe I should go." Booth suggests. "You look like you need some sleep."

"No." Brennan answers quickly, her body tensing up momentarily. Booth notices and twists to face her.

"Bones?" he asks, his hand finding her shoulder.

"Maybe you could stay a little longer? I mean the movie isn't over yet." she asks. Booth realises that despite the front she is putting up, she doesn't want to be alone and he is not about to leave her.

"Sure Bones." He nods. "I'll stay as long as you want." His hand slides across her back and he draws her to him. She settles down with her head between the crook of his arm and his chest.

"Thanks Booth." She replies quietly. "And thank you." She adds.

"What for?"

"For keeping your promise." He looks at her quizzically. "For making everything alright." Booth doesn't know how to reply. He doesn't feel he did keep his promise. So he just remains quiet and gives her a squeeze.

An hour into the movie, Brennan feels exhaustion taking her and her eyes flutter closed. With Booth's arm around her holding her tight, she feels safe and secure and she drifts off to sleep with ease. Booth remains wide awake however, his attention no longer on the television but on his partner. As he watches her sleeping, he knows something has changed. He nearly lost her twice in almost as many days and each time he felt like his insides were being ripped out. In the past he may have been able to tell himself that they were just partners, just friends. But he knows now that that isn't true. His feelings for Temperance go deeper, much deeper. And one day he knows he's going to have to face up to them. But for now he is happy in the knowledge that she is safe, in his arms.


End file.
